scholarly journals A Mediation Analysis of Spirituality: Wellbeing and Academic Performance in first-Generation and Low-income College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Chris Beggs ◽  
Barbara N. Martin

Mental health and attainment gaps comprise crises on university campuses, especially for first-generation and low-income students. Despite the heritage of spirituality and religious foundations of America’s colleges, current norms have rendered candid discussions of spirituality to be mostly nonexistent. Despite literature linking spirituality with psychological wellbeing, known is little as to what relationship spirituality has with psychological wellbeing and academic performance, particularly among first-generation and low-income students. This study uses a cross-sectional survey design and occurred a public, regional, Midwestern institution. Quantitative analysis found a relationship between psychological wellbeing and academic performance in specific circumstances, and an indirect effect between spirituality and academic performance in the presence of psychological wellbeing. These data presents implications for practitioners.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Christopher Beggs

Mental health and attainment gaps comprise dual crises on today's college and university campuses, especially for first-generation and low-income students. Despite the common history and heritage of spirituality and religious foundations of America's colleges and universities, current norms and preferences have rendered candid discussions of spirituality to be, at best, passe, and, at worst, regressive. Despite extensive literature linking spirituality with psychological wellbeing, little is known as to what relationship, if any, spirituality has with psychological wellbeing and academic performance, particularly among first-generation and low-income students. This study uses a cross-sectional survey design. This study was conducted at a public, regional, Midwestern institution within an hour's driving radius of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Data were collected through a survey, rendering 135 participants. Quantitative analysis found that there was no statistical difference between first-generation or low-income students and their peers in spirituality or wellbeing, that spirituality that is or once was salient to the student was correlated with and predicts psychological wellbeing, that there was a relationship between psychological wellbeing and academic performance in specific circumstances, and that there was an indirect effect between spirituality and academic performance in the presence of psychological wellbeing. These data provide insight into the nature of the relationship between spirituality, wellbeing, and academic performance among college students and present implications for practitioners and researchers alike. [NEEDS DIACRITICS]



2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Takalani G Tshitangano ◽  
T M Ramaliba ◽  
H A Akinsola ◽  
M Thendele

Lephalale local municipality is the leading sub-district in Limpopo province with 9.8% of deaths caused by tuberculosis. This study aimed to describe the risk factors for TB in Lephalale local municipality. A quantitative descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used to target 148 registered TB patients aged 18 years and above in the sub-district’s 6 clinics. Approval and ethical clearance was obtained from the relevant authorities (SHS/15/PH/14/2006). Only respondents who agreed in writing to be part of the study were included. Ethical research principles were observed. A researcher-developed self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analysed using the statistical Package for Social Sciences® version 22.0. Of 148 respondents, a high proportion of diagnosed TB patients (43.24%) were receiving less than R1 000 per month; the majority (53.38%) were unemployed; 22% were overcrowded in a single room; 31.8% had skipped taking TB medication at some point; 12% had previously worked in the mining industries; 37.16% never opened windows: 39.19% were from a rural settlement. TB risk factors in Lephalale include overcrowding, inadequate ventilation, TB treatment interruption, rural settlement, working in a mine, and low income. Educating communities about improving ventilation and treatment adherence as well as community empowerment with entrepreneurial skills might assist. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2017.1304734



2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Ssenkasi ◽  
Amina Hassan

The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between parents’ attendance of school meetings and pupils’ academic performance in selected primary schools in Kyotera Town Council. The researchers adopted a cross-sectional survey design where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Census and purposive sampling technique were used to select a sample of 71 teachers, 8 Members of the PTA, and 8 SMC members of the selected schools. The major instruments used in the study were a Likert scale type questionnaire which was filled by teachers as well as an interview guide for head teachers, PTA executives and SMC members. Validity of the research instruments was computed and results were found to be .86 while the reliabilityobtained was .948. The research utilized descriptive statistics to analyze data was which presented in form of tables with frequencies and percentages. Equally, a Pearson Product Moment correlation was used to establish the relationship between variables. From the findings, the correlation between attendance of meetings and academic performance was found to be moderate (r = .433, p< 0.01). Thus, the study recommends that the parents and teachers associations (PTA) should ensure that parents attend school meetings regularly, parents should also be sensitized about their role as guidance and counselling providers to their children and government should set in motion adequate measures and policies to enable the parents provide their children with basic school requirements.



2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ammar Abdulameer Ali Zwain ◽  
Kong Teong Lim ◽  
Siti Norezam Othman

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the associations between total quality management (TQM) core elements, knowledge management (KM) processes, and educational organization outcome with respect to academic performance (AP). Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a cross-sectional survey design. The survey was conducted on 87 colleges in Iraqi higher-education institutions (HEIs). Four main hypotheses were developed and tested statistically by applying multivariate data analyses. Findings The results provided evidence that both TQM core elements and KM processes should be implemented holistically. TQM core elements have a positive and significant impact on both KM processes and AP. Moreover, KM processes partially mediate the association between TQM core elements and AP. Originality/value Empirical research on the association between TQM, KM, and performance is very limited. This study provides insights and further understanding of the effect of TQM core elements on KM processes and AP, and therefore, allows decision makers to get in-depth knowledge about these associations and the mediating effect of KM in HEIs context.



2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marié Philipina Wissing ◽  
Sammy M. Thekiso ◽  
Ronel Stapelberg ◽  
Leanda Van Quickelberge ◽  
Pinky Choabi ◽  
...  

Orientation: From the perspective of positive psychology, it is important to evaluate people’s strengths. There is, however, a lack of validated measures for these purposes in many of the South African official languages. As language is a medium for cultural meanings, measures of mental health should be validated in the mother tongue of the people involved.Research purpose: The aim of this study was therefore to explore the psychometric properties of Setswana versions of three measures of psychological wellbeing, namely the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC) (the 29-item version) (Antonovsky, 1987), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larson & Griffen, 1985) and Affectometer 2 (AFM) (Kammann & Flett, 1983).Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was implemented for this study. Questionnaires were translated, back-translated and evaluated in a research-committee approach. A stratified sample of 738 Setswana-speaking participants completed the questionnaires in randomly selected sites of the North West province of South Africa as part of the multi-disciplinary Transition and Health during Urbanisation of South Africans project. Reliability indices, means, standard deviations, ranges of scores, patterns of correlations and factor structures were established for all the scales.Main findings: The present Setswana SWLS and AFM are reliable and valid for use in this group, as is, to some extent, the SOC. The factor structures of the three scales were also consistent with the latent factor structures of the original scales.Practical implications: These validated measures are instruments for use in the clinical, community and work contexts of Setswana-speaking people.



Author(s):  
Benjamin Bett Cheruiyot

The focus of this study was to investigate the influence of training strategies on employee performance in public university campuses in Kericho County, Kenya. The study was motivated by concerns on employee performance in public university campuses despite the various training strategies adopted by the public institutions to enhance employee performance. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design.  A sample of 106 employees, representing 26% of the target population, was selected from four public university campuses namely; University of Kabianga (UK), Moi University (MU), Kenyatta University (KU), and Kisii University (KSU). Stratified random sampling was utilized in selecting the respondents for the study. Data was collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. A pilot study was conducted on the data collection instrument to pre-test its validity before the main survey, while data reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to aid in coding, entry and analysis of quantitative data. Finally, there is a conclusion and recommendation based on the findings. The study found out that the relationship between training strategies and employee performance was significantly positive. The conclusion from the findings of this study is that motivated employees are the main drivers of the public institutes’ performance. Given the findings, the study recommends that public universities improve training strategies to improve the level of employee performance.



2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 70-97
Author(s):  
Amadu Musah Abudu

The study examined the effects of curriculum planning activities of heads of senior high schools on students’ academic performance in Ghana. The cross-sectional survey design was used in the study. The sample size was 445. The proportionate stratified random and purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaire, interviews and focus group discussions. Analysis of data involved the use of binary logistic regression, cross-tabulation and thematic analysis. It was found that of the eight predictors of high academic performance, four predictors emerged as significant. Thus, the study concludes that the curriculum leadership roles played by heads of schools contribute to the academic performance of their students directly. The study recommends that only competent and committed people should be appointed as heads of schools.



Author(s):  
Benjamin Bett Cheruiyot ◽  
Martin Onsiro

This study analyzed the influence of motivational strategies on employee performance in public university campuses in Kericho County, Kenya. It was apparent that various motivational strategies played key roles in shaping the performances of employees in any organization. Despite this fact, most organizations had not been able to pin-point the crucial motivational strategies and the extent to which they affected the individual employee performance. The study was motivated by the need to fill up the academic gap on the influence of motivational strategies on employee performance in public university campuses. Cross-sectional survey design was adopted when collecting data. The study targeted a population of 412 teaching and executive staff in public university campuses in Kericho County. A sample of 106 respondents representing 26% of the target population was selected. Stratified random sampling was utilized in selecting the respondents for the study. Primary data was collected from the study respondents using questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted on data collection instrument to pre-test its validity before the main survey, while data reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Data was presented through tables, charts and graphs. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used to aid in coding, entry and analysis of quantitative data. Finally, there is conclusion and recommendation based on the findings.



Author(s):  
Stanley A. Garuba ◽  
Bernard E. Owumi

The cross-sectional survey design was used in the study to elicit data in Edo State, Nigeria to assess the strategies employed by households to cope with the financial costs of healthcare. Questionnaire data were collected from 508 household respondents in three randomly-selected Local Government Areas of the state including Esan-west, Etsako-west and Egor. Twelve Focus Group Discussions complemented survey data. The main strategies to cope with the financial costs of health care were mobilization of cash and savings (40.5%), and sale of produce and assets (16.0%). Level of income was a significant factors affecting the ability to mobilize cash and savings to cope with the financial costs of health care (X2 = 31.787, 4df, p<0.05, critical value = 9.49). Diversion of money intended for food, education, and clothes to cope with the financial costs of health care was common, relatively, to respondents with low income level (X2 = 13.050, 4df, p<0.05, critical value = 9.94). The findings of the study indicate that urban households have the ability to cope with the financial costs of health care, than rural households. It is therefore imperative that government should not only make healthcare facilities available but should also alleviate poverty in society to enable people defray the cost of healthcare with minimal effort.



2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Olabimpe A. Olatunji ◽  
Erhabor S. Idemudia ◽  
Babatola D. Olawa

Introduction: Farming in most developing nations is still largely agrarian. Hence, ensuring high productivity among farmers requires that they must be both physically and psychologically healthy. The current study aimed at investigating the role of personality types and some demographic factors on psychological distress in farmers. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional survey design of 301 farmers (male = 193, female = 107; age range = 17 – 74; M = 45.6 SD = 11.5) sampled purposively and conveniently from three major farm settlements in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using multiple regression stratified by educational status. Results: Findings revealed that high neuroticism and low family income predicted psychological distress in less-educated farmers but not among more educated counterparts. Conclusion: Outcomes imply that less-educated farmers may be vulnerable to psychological distress due to personality disposition and economic factors. Increasing the level of literacy among farmers may wane the negative impact of neuroticism and low income on emotional wellness.



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